Curved strand guide

ABSTRACT

A curved guide for a strand emerging from the mold of a continuous casting machine for guiding the strand from an approximately vertical path into an approximately horizontal path includes a frame defining the curved guide. The frame is in two sections, one above the other, with an articulated joint between. The lower section is mounted to be displaced horizontally in the plane of curvature of the guide when it thermally expands, while the upper section is mounted to be displaced vertically in said plane when it thermally expands.

United States Patent Inventors Gunter Bolme Dusseldorf-Oberkassel; Walter Hess, Dusseldorf; Adolf Meltz, Ratlngen-Tlelenbrolch, all of Germany App]. No. 821,334 Filed May 2, 1969 Patented Dec. 14, I971 Assignee Schloemann Aktiengesellschult Dusseldorf, Germany Priority May 4, 1968 Germany P 17 28 271.7

CURVED STRAND GUIDE 7 Claims, 1 Drawing Fig.

U.S. Cl 164/282 lnLCl, 822d ill/l2 Field of Search 164/82, 83,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,338,297 8/1967 Foldessy 164/274 3,495,65! 2/1970 Rokop et al. 164/282 x Primary ExaminerR. Spencer Annear Attorney-Sandoe, Hopgood and Calimafde ABSTRACT: A curved guide for a strand emerging from the mold of a continuous casting machine for guiding the strand from an approximately vertical path into an approximately horizontal path includes a frame defining the curved guide. The frame is in two sections, one above the other, with an articulated joint between. The lower section is mounted to be displaced horizontally in the plane of curvature of the guide when it thermally expands, while the upper section is mounted to be displaced vertically in said plane: when it thermally expands CURVE!) STRAND cums The present invention relates to a curved guide, consisting of guide elements disposed in a frame, for strands emerging from continuous casting molds which must be guided from an approximately vertical path into an approximately horizontal path.

Prior art curved guides of this type make it possible to support strands emerging approximately vertically from straight or curved molds and to conduct them into a horizontal direction. This is usually accomplished by means of guide rollers disposed in individual but interconnected frame segments. in this arrangement, however, accurate alignment of the continuous casting strand emerging from the mold with the en trance to the guide creates considerable difficulties which are all the more serious as even minor misalignment can cause damage to the skin of the casting, whose core is still liquid. This frequently results in break-outs, ruptures or other severe difficulties. Many of these difficulties are due to the fact that a cold machine which is perfectly aligned heats up during operation which results in heat expansion.

The invention has as its object to overcome these difficulties with curved guides of the above described type. Above all, it provides means assuring at all times satisfactory alignment of the strand emerging from the mold with the strand guide, regardless of dimensional changes occurring on the machine in the course ofoperation due to heat expansion.

in accordance with the invention, this is accomplished es sentially by dividing the frame and constructing it with an articulated joint, the bottom section of the frame being adapted for substantially unrestricted horizontal displacement and the top frame section for substantially unrestricted vertical displacement in the plane of the curved guide. it thus becomes possible to neutralize dimensional changes due to heat expansion, so that they will have no effect at the point where the strand enters its guide. The two frame sections may undergo considerable position changes as they heat up increasingly during operation; yet the net change is merely in the level at which the entrance to the strandguide at the upper end of the top frame section is located. While there will be increased bending in the vicinity of the articulated joint, this is of no consequence since solidification of the strand has already progressed sufficiently at this point so that the bending will not rupture the strand. Moreover, the concept underlying the invention also allows the division of the complete frame into more than two flexibly jointed sections, thus permitting the total amount of bending to be minimized.

The guide elements which permit the shifting motions of the frame sections are appropriately disposed on the upper portion of the frame sections so as to support the frame sections in a particularly advantageous manner. The lateral motions of the entry section of the strand guide are thereby reduced to the minimum caused by the guide tolerance.

In accordance with a further characteristic of the invention, an intermediate guide is disposed directly beneath the mold in an intermediate frame whose upper part is adjustably articulated relative to the machine frame, the lower part of the intermediate frame being articulated to a top frame section. This arrangement assures the accurately centered entry of the strand into the guide associated with the top frame section while the adjustable articulation of the intermediate frame allows the equalization of lateral deviations of the mold axis. Since the intermediate frame is of relatively small dimensions, no deleterious effects are produced by heat expansion.

To assure that the strand leaves the curved guide in proper alignment with the withdrawal mechanism which follows, the exit portion of the bottom frame section is attached to the base plate on which the withdrawal mechanism is mounted. Attachment at this point has no adverse effect since the inlet portion .of the bottom frame section is capable of lateral deflection.

The curved guide of the present invention thus assures accurately centered strand entry and exit, unaffected by thermal expansion or by lateral position changes of the mold axis.

The invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawing, showing an illustrative embodiment of the invention schematically in side elevation.

The frame as a whole consists of a bottom frame section 1, a top frame section 2, and an intermediate frame 3. Disposed between the bottom frame section l and the top frame section 2 is an articulated joint 4, which may be formed, for example, of pins joumaled in sockets 5 and 6. Below the articulated joint 4, the bottom frame section B is provided with projecting support surfaces 7 which rest on slide plates 8. These slide plates are fixed to the frame of the continuous casting machine, which is not shown.

At its upper part, the top frame section 2 has a shoe 9 which is adapted to slide in a vertical guideway (not shown) that is also attached to the machine frame.

The lower part of the bottom frame section 1 is fastened to the base plate 10 by means of bolts 11, which are indicated schematically, or by similar means. The base plate also carries a frame on which withdrawal rolls are mounted, the upper group of withdrawal rolls being indicated at 12.

During thermal expansion, the supporting surface 7 of the upper part of the bottom frame section 1 is able to move in the direction of the arrow 13. This causes the articulated joint 4 to shift, thus forcing an upward movement of the top frame section 2 in the direction of the arrow 14. The important feature is that no lateral displacements occur at the entrance 15 to the guide.

The upper edge of the top frame section 2 is articulated to the lower end of the intermediate frame 3 by means of a socket 16 on the top frame section and a pivot pin w seated in the socket and in a projection 17 of the intermediate frame 3. Above the projection 17, the intermediate frame 3 is articulated at point 19 to a positioning cylinder 20 that is fixed to the machine frame. This permits the intermediate frame 3 to be displaced in the plane of curvature of the guide and thereby provides means for equalizing lateral position changes of the axis of the mold 21 relative to the guide entrance 15.

The frame, or its parts, are conventionally provided with guide rollers and cooling means. In place of guide rollers, other guide elements such as guide plates or the like may be used.

What is claimed is:

l. A curved guide for a strand emerging from the mold of a continuous casting machine for guiding the strand from approximately vertical path into an approximately horizontal path without misalignment at the curved guide inlet due to thermal expansion or due to lateral position changes of the mold axis comprising a frame defining the curved guide, said frame being in two sections, one above the other, with an articulated joint between, the lower section being mounted to have substantially unrestrained horizontal displacement in the plane of curvature of the guide when it thermally expands, and the upper section being mounted to have substantially unrestrained vertical displacement in said plane when it thermally expands.

2. The guide of claim 1 in which the lower end of said lower section is fixed and its upper end is supported for horizontal displacement, and the upper end of said upper section is supported for vertical displacement.

3. The guide of claim 2 in which the upper end of said lower section has a support surface fixed thereon below said articulated joint, said support surface resting on a slide plate for horizontal movement thereon, and in which the upper end of said upper section has a shoe element thereon mounted for vertical sliding movement in a guideway.

4. The guide of claim 2 which includes a base element having withdrawal rolls for engaging a strand moving from the lower end of the guide, the lower end of said lower section being attached to said base element.

5. The guide of claim 1 including an intermediate frame member above the upper end of said upper section and below said mold, said intermediate frame member being articulated to the upper section, and means for adjusting the lateral posicludes a positioning cylinder pivotally connected to said intermediate frame member, said cylinder being adapted for moving the upper end of said intermediate frame member in the plane of curvature of the guide.

t t t t 101014 oi m 

1. A curved guide for a strand emerging from the mold of a continuous casting machine for guiding the strand from an approximately vertical path into an approximately horizontal path without misalignment at the curved guide inlet due to thermal expansion or due to lateral position changes of the mold axis comprising a frame defiNing the curved guide, said frame being in two sections, one above the other, with an articulated joint between, the lower section being mounted to have substantially unrestrained horizontal displacement in the plane of curvature of the guide when it thermally expands, and the upper section being mounted to have substantially unrestrained vertical displacement in said plane when it thermally expands.
 2. The guide of claim 1 in which the lower end of said lower section is fixed and its upper end is supported for horizontal displacement, and the upper end of said upper section is supported for vertical displacement.
 3. The guide of claim 2 in which the upper end of said lower section has a support surface fixed thereon below said articulated joint, said support surface resting on a slide plate for horizontal movement thereon, and in which the upper end of said upper section has a shoe element thereon mounted for vertical sliding movement in a guideway.
 4. The guide of claim 2 which includes a base element having withdrawal rolls for engaging a strand moving from the lower end of the guide, the lower end of said lower section being attached to said base element.
 5. The guide of claim 1 including an intermediate frame member above the upper end of said upper section and below said mold, said intermediate frame member being articulated to the upper section, and means for adjusting the lateral position of the upper end of said intermediate frame member relative to the mold.
 6. The guide of claim 5 in which the lower end of said intermediate frame member is pivotally supported on a projection on said upper section.
 7. The guide of claim 5 in which said adjusting means includes a positioning cylinder pivotally connected to said intermediate frame member, said cylinder being adapted for moving the upper end of said intermediate frame member in the plane of curvature of the guide. 